Holodeck Date: '69 Camaro
by Lady Arreya
Summary: Inspired by the episode "Vis a Vis." Tom and B’Elanna go on a date in 20th century San Francisco. Part of my "Holodeck Date" series. P/T.


Originally written Feb 1999

Title: Holodeck Date: '69 Camaro  
Rating: M  
Summary: Inspired by the episode "Vis a Vis." Tom and B'Elanna go on a date in 20th century San Francisco. Part of my "Holodeck Date" series. P/T.

* * *

"Wait til you see all the additions I've made to this program. It's incredible!"

Tom and B'Elanna were sitting in the front seat of his 1969 black Camaro, in the garage. It had been a week since Tom had introduced her to his latest favorite holoprogram, and B'Elanna was still trying to figure out why he liked it so much. She wasn't having much success. At least he had finally decided to make the program more interesting, after she had asked, "So, do you do anything besides work on the car in this program?" one time too many.

"This is even better than my '57 Chevy program, don't you think? Not to mention the '37 Ford pickup truck we found with the '37s. Though I was thinking about adding a '65 Mustang convertible..."

"Just how many classic automobiles do you have, anyway?" B'Elanna asked incredulously. "Don't you ever get bored? There's not much you can do in a car."

"Don't be too sure of that. Want to go for a drive?"

"To where?"

"Nowhere in particular. Just drive around for awhile."

She looked at him skeptically. "That's it? Just drive? Why?"

"Because it's fun. There's a lot to see."

"Okay..." She wasn't convinced, but Tom seemed so eager to show off his holoprogram that she decided to humor him.

Tom started the engine and drove out of the garage. The stereo pounded with music from the era. "Rock n' roll," he had called it. Outside, the suburban residential area was bustling with activity. The neighborhood children were happily playing on the sidewalks, their parents supervising as they mowed their lawns or chatted with each other. A few of the neighbors waved as the Camaro drove by.

"Where are we, anyway?" She didn't recognize the area.

"Northern California, during the late 20th century. The suburbs of San Francisco, to be exact." They drove through more tree-lined streets.

"We're near San Francisco? Really?"

"It's changed a lot since then, hasn't it? I like the 20th century version better."

Surprised, B'Elanna stared at him. San Francisco was still a beautiful city. Tom had grown up in San Francisco near Starfleet Headquarters, and she thought he had fond memories of the place. She herself had become fairly familiar with the city during her time at the Academy and had grown to love it.

They reached the end of the residential zone and got onto Highway 101 South. Tom immediately stepped on the accelerator, pushing the Camaro to its limits.

B'Elanna cringed. She wished that he would drive a little more carefully on the highway, even if the Holodeck safeties were on. But Tom liked to drive the way he liked to fly. Fast. Extremely fast. Fortunately for her, he was skilled at both flying and driving.

"I'm designing a new holoprogram that's a lot more detailed than this. Then we can go on a road trip," he said happily as he swerved sharply to avoid hitting an 18-wheel flatbed truck. B'Elanna squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to look. She tried to remember to breathe as Tom continued to drive at breakneck speed, unperturbed by their near collision with the truck.

"In the 20th century, road trips were really popular," he continued, oblivious to her anxiety over his driving.

"Road trips?"

"Road trips. We drive to as many different places as possible, as far as possible. It's a good way to see a lot in a short time. I've always wanted to go on a cross-country road trip. But late 20th century Northern California is a great place to go road-tripping too. You can go for days without running out of places to visit."

"And you're planning for us to go on a road trip?"

"Maybe when we have some more time off. I'm almost finished writing the program."

B'Elanna wasn't sure that she wanted to spend any extended period of time in a car, even if it was with Tom. A few hours was tolerable, but DAYS? Somehow it just didn't appeal to her. Driving seemed to be a very inefficient way of getting around -- it took such a long time to get anywhere. Why drive when you could just transport yourself instantaneously from place to place?

"We'll have to drive through the redwood forests, of course. Some of the largest trees in existence at the time were there. There's even a tree that you can drive a car through."

She stared at him, uncertain as to whether he was joking or not. Trees that you could drive through? At any rate, she wished he would pay more attention to the road instead of thinking about all the places that they could drive to.

"Watch out!" she cried as Tom sped into the left lane, cutting off a red Jaguar. The irate driver honked loudly. B'Elanna cursed under her breath. No doubt about it, transporters were a lot safer. She was glad that she had been born in the 24th century, where transporters were the primary mode of transportation for short distances. Just about every means of transportation was safer than riding around in primitive vehicles driven by testosterone-charged guys trying to outrace each other. Wait a minute, those testosterone-charged guys are now piloting starships capable of flying at warp speeds, she realized. She groaned to herself. What was it with men and speeding, anyway?

"Didn't they have law enforcement officers patrolling the highways in the 20th century?" she muttered. Knowing Tom's obsession with historical accuracy, she was surprised they hadn't been pulled over yet. They were definitely driving too fast.

"I didn't bother to program that in," Tom responded. "They weren't very fair, anyway. My experience with that when we went back in time to 1996 proved that much."

B'Elanna tried not to laugh. That was one of Tuvok's favorite stories – how they had received a parking citation from a 20th century law enforcement officer despite Tom's efforts to dissuade her from issuing it. Tom still grumbled about that.

"Besides, speeding on the highways was very common those days," he defended himself.

Especially when men were driving, B'Elanna added silently to herself. "You didn't drive this way in 1996, did you?"

"Of course I did. We were being chased by criminals trying to kill us!"

"No wonder you got a ticket."

"Hey, that was for illegal parking, not speeding," he reminded her.

B'Elanna shook her head. "I still don't understand how you managed to avoid getting a speeding ticket."

He didn't say anything but decided that maybe he should concentrate more on his driving. Otherwise she'd never get in a car with him again.

"Look, there's Golden Gate Bridge!"

They stared in awe as the monumental landmark came into view. It still existed in their San Francisco, but it didn't have quite the same significance as it did in the 20th century.

"We'll be driving over it soon," Tom continued. B'Elanna was suitably impressed.

Before they knew it, the lanes had merged to form the narrow road of the bridge.

"Breathtaking," she murmured, gazing up at the magnificent feat of engineering, architecture and artistry that was the Golden Gate Bridge. It was deep red in color, suspended by thick cables and sturdy beams of reinforced steel. Below the bridge lay the glimmering waters of the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. Wispy clouds dotted the blue skies above the horizon.

She was momentarily distracted from the beauty of this sight as a sign posted at the side of the bridge caught her attention. "Tom, didn't that just say 'speed limit 50 mph?' We're going 70!"

"Yeah, but no one actually drives 50 mph across the Golden Gate Bridge. Everyone speeds on bridges because the law enforcement officers have no place to pull you over on the side."

Unbelievable, she thought, settling back into her seat. The man was obsessed with historical accuracy. She couldn't believe that he had bothered to research details like that. She wondered if he was making it up. Probably not. That was even more frightening.

She sighed. He's hopeless. Might as well sit back and enjoy the view. It was better than worrying about his driving all the time.

They reached the winding, two-lane section of Highway 1 soon after crossing the bridge. On one side, the road followed the curve of the mountains, with the Pacific Ocean on the other. Tom had slowed down to accommodate the road, B'Elanna realized with a sigh of relief.

The view was spectacular. From the passenger's side she had an unobstructed view of the sparkling sea. Ahead, she could see cliffs and majestic peaks of the mountains they were about to drive along. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, streaking the sky with fiery red and orange. She was starting to see the allure of a road trip through this area. Of course, that didn't mean that she was ready to take him up on the road trip idea just yet.

With a start, she realized that he had pulled over to the side of the road.

"We're not lost, are we?" she asked teasingly.

"Of course not. I know where we are. I wrote this program, remember?"

"Then why are we sitting here at the side of the road?"

He regarded her thoughtfully. "Hand me that map, will you?"

She turned to glare at him.

"I'm just kidding! The view from here is incredible. I thought we could watch the sunset."

"Oh. Okay."

He scooted a little closer to her, sliding his arm around her.

"When we go on our road trip, we'll have more time to go to the beaches of Monterey."

Upon hearing that, she instantly perked up. "The beach?" She loved going to the beach.

He grinned, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Yep. Some of the most beautiful beaches are right here in Northern California. We'll go to Monterey, and maybe Mendocino..."

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she smiled. "Sounds good."

They fell into a comfortable silence to enjoy the view. As the sun slowly disappeared from view, it left behind a dusky glow across the sky.

It's so peaceful here, she thought contentedly. "Thank you for bringing me here, Tom."

"I'm glad you like it. Wouldn't it have been great to live in this era?"

"Well..." She didn't want to insult the 20th century, but she preferred the comforts of modern conveniences. Like replicators. Transporters. Tricorders. Holodecks. Warp drive. Those kinds of things.

But even though she didn't exactly understand his fascination with the 20th century and this particular holoprogram, she was happy that he wanted to share it with her. It was an adventure, and being with Tom was always fun.

They continued on their way. It was starting to get foggy, and suddenly everything seemed misted over. The effect was surreal.

"Are you sure that this road goes somewhere? I haven't seen anything except trees for a really long time."

"Trust me."

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"We're going to a drive-in movie theater."

"A drive-in movie theater? What's that?"

"Well, the movie's projected on a huge outdoor screen in a parking lot of sorts. People drive up in their cars and watch the movie from there."

"And this is considered fun because...?"

"You'll see."

They arrived at the drive-in in no time. It was exactly as he had described it.

"Wouldn't it be easier to see if this car were a convertible? Maybe we should have taken the other car."

"Nah. The Chevy's great for stargazing in a secluded place, but not for drive-ins. We want to have a little more privacy since there are a lot of other people around."

"Good point," she conceded. Everywhere she looked, there were groups of teenagers in parked cars.

"It's better if we sit in the back," he told her.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically but followed his lead into the backseat.

"Isn't it difficult to see the movie from the backseat?"

"Well, yeah... but that's not important. It's not that good anyway."

"I'll say. 'Attack of the Killer Zombies?' Tom, couldn't you have picked something a little more –"

"Romantic?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Tasteful."

"Well, if you don't like the movie..." He slipped his arm around her, drawing her into his embrace. As the movie began, they shared a tender kiss, and then another... It soon escalated into a full-fledged necking session.

"You're right, this is much better than the movie," she sighed, resting her head on his chest. He stroked her dark hair, deep in thought. _I'm so lucky... I could have been in a holding cell light years away by now, trying to explain my plight to some unsympathetic aliens who'd think I was crazy._

Sensing his pensive mood, she whispered, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about Steth."

She nodded. "That must have been strange for you, being trapped in another body."

"'Strange' doesn't begin to describe it."

"What was it like?" She couldn't help but be curious, even though it was a morbid sort of curiosity.

"Disorienting. It's not something I'd ever want to go through again."

"Even if it meant you could trade places with someone else? Someone whose life is a lot more exciting than yours?"

"My life's not so bad."

"Then why were you so eager to escape from it?" she challenged. "That's what you were doing, isn't it? Hiding out in the holodeck, and on Steth's ship when you were helping him with repairs. You couldn't wait to get away from your responsibilities here."

He didn't say anything.

"Why is that? Is life on Voyager that boring for you?"

"No, it's not." He paused, then shrugged helplessly. "I don't know why, B'Elanna. I just felt restless. Maybe I was feeling kind of suffocated by the routine. Or maybe it was all a little too perfect..."

"Too perfect?" she echoed.

"Too good to last, I mean."

"Oh, Tom..."

"I have everything I've ever wanted, here on Voyager, but I couldn't help wondering what it would be like if things were different."

"Well, you got the chance to find out," she said dryly.

"Tell me about it. It's true that you don't appreciate what you have until you're faced with losing it all," he mused. "This crazy adventure made me realize how lucky I truly am. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's."

"I'm glad to hear that."

They gazed at each other intently for a long moment, the movie long forgotten.

Suddenly feeling overly vulnerable, he looked away. "How did this conversation get so serious, anyway? We're supposed to be having fun."

She smiled. "It's your program. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"Hmm..." He pretended to think it over as they climbed back into the front seat. "I've got it! Let's go to Lovers' Lane."

"What's that?"

"It's a scenic, romantic little spot..."

"And what would we do there?"

"Um... we'd go parking."

"Parking," she repeated, her brow furrowed. "You mean, as in the parking-on-Mars-in-a-'57-Chevy-holoprogram kind of parking?"

"Yeah. That kind of parking. Only this time it's parking-on-Earth-in-a-'69-Camaro."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Grinning at her enthusiasm, he revved up the engine.

Moments later, they were sitting in the backseat of the car at Lovers' Lane. They had deleted the rest of the cars and other couples, so it was just the two of them. And the Camaro.

B'Elanna was shaking her head. "I really don't understand what you see in this car. There's hardly any room back here."

"I always did have a weakness for sleek, dark beauties," he said huskily, lightly caressing her face. "Especially ones with passion and inner fire..."

He shifted her onto her back and bent down to kiss her properly, but she refused to be distracted. "It's so primitive. I'm surprised that the engines run at all, they're so inefficient."

Trying another approach, he nuzzled her neck, his lips brushing against a sensitive spot near her pulse. He heard her sharp intake of breath and smiled. He had another idea. "Do you know how it works?" he whispered in her ear.

"Not really," she admitted, sliding her hands sensuously under his shirt despite her intentions of having a discussion. "The mechanics of 20th century automobile engines wasn't exactly a high-priority elective at the Academy."

"I'll explain it to you, then." He moved to kiss her again, and this time she responded. Excellent, he thought with satisfaction. He was determined to arouse her fully before they got caught up in another serious conversation. They could do that elsewhere. Right now, his erection was throbbing, and she was driving him crazy. Pressing tightly against her, he let her know what kind of an effect she was having on him. She stared up at him, eyes widening. Her arms slowly wrapped around his back.

As he took his time caressing and disrobing her, he apprised her of the parts and functions of the engine system. "The engine runs on a fuel called gasoline. Kind of like the way Voyager runs on deuterium."

She grimaced. "How can you possibly compare Voyager's engines to this ancient vehicle's?"

He gently ran his hands along her bare shoulders, then over her breasts before kissing her again. "Indulge me, okay? I was trying to phrase it in terms you'd appreciate."

"Okay, okay. Keep going."

By this time, they were both mostly stripped of their clothing. The smooth leather upholstery felt cool and sensual against her bare skin.

"Try to picture it. I turn the key in the ignition, which starts the motor. When the motor's running, the fuel is mixed with air. They mingle..." He nibbled softly at her lower lip, his tongue darting out to taste her. Aroused, she returned the sweet caress.

"After that, the fuel and air mixture travels to the cylinders." He stealthily slid his hand between her thighs, making her gasp. "The cylinders are the interior chambers of the engine, where the fuel burns," he whispered, his nimble fingers finding their way into _her_ interior chamber.

"Ohhhh..."

His mouth claimed hers in a feverish kiss, stifling her moan as his fingers delved deeper.

"It gets very hot in there..." he continued smoothly. She moved restlessly against him, the seductiveness of his words creating a hypnotic spell.

"Of course, fuel has to ignite first. That happens after electricity flows from the battery to the spark plugs, which produce sparks..."

His thumb lightly brushed against her most sensitive flesh, causing her to whimper. It was like electric current flooding her, sparks shooting through her entire body, every time he stroked there.

"The sparks ignite the fuel, and it begins to burn. Can you imagine it?" She didn't have to. She was burning, all right. Burning with desire...

So was he.

"It gets hotter and hotter, as the pressure builds."

He could wait no longer. Sliding his fingers out of her slick passage, he shifted his hips over hers, preparing for entry. "Then the pistons start to move inside the engine, slowly at first."

She rubbed provocatively against him, making him even harder. Fighting for control, he leisurely entered her, then began moving in slow, deliberate strokes.

"The increasing pressure from the burning fuel forces the pistons to move in and out of the cylinders."

"In... and out... in... and out..." he repeated like a mantra, his thrusts moving in synchrony with his words.

She clung to him desperately, spiraling out of control.

"They start pumping hard, creating power. Faster and faster..."

"Faster..." she whispered.

"There's a lot of friction generated by the moving parts of the engine, so oil is pumped through to make sure everything is well-lubricated..." he murmured.

There was a lot of friction between the two of them, too, but lubrication was not a problem. He continued to thrust in and out of her, more urgently with every stroke.

"Can you feel the power? Everything works together, perfectly coordinated, in perfect rhythm, in an internal combustion engine."

"Mmm..." she moaned. She was definitely feeling the internal combustion building up to incredible heights inside her chamber.

"Think of it... all that raw power unleashed..." he managed to gasp out before the fire consumed them both. Her grasp on him tightened as she arched into him, screaming his name. Burying his face in her shoulder, he unleashed his own potency within her. Their cries of fulfillment echoed in the confined space.

Afterwards, they lay there for a while, quietly panting and moaning.

"Did I explain all that clearly enough?" he couldn't resist teasing her when he had regained his breath.

"Oh, yes. That was very... educational. But..."

"But what?"

"Wouldn't the engines overheat?" she asked faintly, rather overheated herself.

Tom chuckled, hugging her to him. Her analytical mind was working overtime, as usual. "Water flows through the system to keep the engines from overheating."

"Okay." She paused to study him intently, a hint of a smile on her face. "No wonder you find this car so exciting."

"It's stimulating, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it sounds like it requires a lot of... maintenance to keep things running smoothly," she said suggestively.

"She may be high-maintenance, but she's worth it." He grinned insolently. "Besides, as long as I take care of her and make sure that all her needs are met, she treats me right."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

He smirked. "I know how to keep her satisfied."

He certainly does, she thought with amusement. But all she said was, "I'm sure you're an expert at making everything run properly."

They laughed, then sat up, still in each other's arms. The windows had misted over from the heat of their encounter, and it was warm and cozy in this enclosed little space, the backseat of a '69 Camaro.

B'Elanna sighed contentedly. There were some 20th century Earth traditions that she definitely enjoyed.

It was a simpler time, the 20th century. Peaceful and idyllic, she thought reflectively. People appreciated the simple pleasures and the natural beauty that surrounded them. They didn't have to go very far to get away from it all. Perhaps that was part of what appealed to Tom so much.

She kissed him, letting him know that she understood and wanted to be a part of this, his dream world.

Tom smiled, pleased that she appreciated this place, this program. He had designed these new settings for her, after all.

This was his haven, his sanctuary. He came here to escape from the everyday stress of work and responsibilities... but not from her. He wanted to share it with her, this place that brought him such peace, contentment and comfort. The way she did.

He hoped she would seriously consider taking that road trip with him. _Maybe if I promise her that I won't drive so fast... even though there aren't any officers to stop me..._

A humorous thought occurred to him, and he laughed. "You know, it's probably a good thing I didn't program any law enforcement officers."

She smiled. "Why? Are we breaking the law?"

"Let's just say that they were often an unwelcome interruption at these places."

Her smile widened. "In that case, let's take full advantage of their absence," she murmured huskily, entwining her arms around his neck.

"Good idea," he agreed happily.

He would definitely have to convince her to go on that road trip... later.

The End


End file.
